"Ah, Spring," I say, watching the cherry blossom petals flow with the wind through the yard. Each petal falls peacefully on the grass. Laying my head in my hand, I sigh. No matter that the war is happening. It's a beautiful day nevertheless.
Mother opens the door to my room. "Akira, you only have a few days until you meet your match. Don't you think you should be training? At least find some nice silks to wear."
"Mother, I'm sure I don't need to train to be paired with a soldier." I shake my head. "I have nice clothes as well. Why does this even matter to men anyway?"
"The opposite sex can be very confusing at times. They just prefer women with a nice, pretty face."
"I know. I don't have any of that," I say, chuckling slightly.
She cracks a little smile. "It will be fine, Akira. You just need to be...more wife-like."
I laugh. "You know me, Mother. I'm not girly. I'd rather get dirty and be outside than stay inside and clean all day long."
"Men do not like that so much, dear. Everyone wants a woman who can clean and provide a family."
I roll my eyes ever-so-slightly. How can that even mean anything to a man? Does personality just take a back seat while beauty steps up? Does one need to keep the house clean just to make a man happy? A man that I never even met. It's not my sort of image in picturing my future, Mother...
"I don't need a partner, Mother. I rather live my own life alone."
“Now, Akira, I know you are independent woman. That is admirable about you. Men don’t like that though. They fear women with more power with them.” Her lips lift up slightly as she pats my hand.
I close my eyes, huffing a bit. “I don’t understand. Why does it matter that I’m strong?”
“Men don’t like women having more power than them-”
“Then I don’t want one! I want to be alone and be strong then be a man’s slave and breed! There is no honor to me there!”
I turn away from Mother, focusing back on the petals of the cherry blossom tree. The faint rapping of her fingernails on my desk draws my attention back to her.
"Akira-Lee Yuki! You cannot say such things. Women get partnered so they can make soldiers to serve the Emperor. The country's always in need of soldiers to protect it. I don't mean to upset you, but it’s already been decided."
"Mother–"
"Akira-Lee."
I huff, turning my lips downward with a frown. "Yes, Mother." So much for becoming something different. Something other than a housewife.
She smiles in satisfaction, lifting her hand away from my desk. "Good. Now, to start, you can work with the clothes. Remember that no matter how hard I am being, I still love you."
The one thing I hate doing most. Laundry. Just the sound of the washing machine is enough to make cats run away.
"Yes, Mother. I love you too." I turn from my window as she left the room. Her footsteps disappear down the hall, followed by a door shutting. I bend over, picking up my dirty kimonos, day clothes, and undergarments out of the bin by the wall.
With a look of dismay at the pile in my arms, I open my door and walk from the comfort of my room. The hallway isn't very long, with pictures of family members hanging from the plain wall. Pictures of me as a baby, of my father in his long, white lab coat, and of my parents on their wedding day.
I walk up to the closed door of the laundry room and push it open with my the palm of my hand. Stepping inside, my eyes gaze over the washing machine. The round, circular barrel is a pale-bluish color, which is chipping, and the wringer on top, near the side, looks worn. I walk over to the machine and plug it in. I grab a bucket and fill it with water from the sink in the room.
I grunt, feeling the weight of the bucket crash on my arms when I lift it down to the floor. I carry the bucket to the washing machine, barely able to keep it from hitting the ground. I grab the bottom and barely lift it to pour the water into the drum. Water splashes me, then I dump the clothes in and hit the on button. The washing machine whines. After I pour the soap in, I walk out the door and close it behind me.
There. One cleaning job is done. One step further to being a 'proper' wife.
The window catches my eye in the hall. Cherry blossom petals cover the yard like a pink blanket, gently being blown by a strong wind when it comes. Each one free with no tree to bound it.
I smile.
What a sight during a war. What a sight indeed.
I turn away, walking back to my room. Sounds come from the kitchen where Mother must be. The sound of a radio crackling and the sounds of dishes clinking are evidence of her presence. I tune my ears just to listen.
Though soft, the radio's crackling is clear enough for me to hear.
"Today, we are engaged in a different war. Our allies have all fallen. Only we remain. The enemy has focused all force on us. We must be ready. Any able-bodied male will be drafted to win this war. Letters will be sent."
The beating in my chest stops.
Any able-bodied male- Father...but he's a doctor. They need doctors in wartime to heal the troops.
"Akira-Lee, please make sure you're ready by tomorrow!" Mother calls, interrupting my thoughts.
"Tomorrow!?" I call back. "I thought it was a few days from now. I'm not prepared yet!"
"Yes, tomorrow. A draft is happening and you know what that means. Young men will be going off to war. Tomorrow it must be before it's too late." She appears in the doorway of the kitchen located far down the hall with a small portion of rice in a sack. The only rice we had left.
"What about Father? I want him to be there. He needs to approve." If Father doesn't approve of any of the men, I won't marry a single one. You're over-reacting to all of this, Mother. Father must pick my husband, not you.
"He will be. Just be ready, okay? The Emperor is really worried about the threat we will be in. You need to be paired as soon as possible; before all the young men–"
"Just them, right? Father can stay?"
Mother stays quiet for a moment before answering me. "We will see. I'm sure he will be fine. They need doctors. Don’t worry about Father right now." She disappears back into the kitchen. The radio starts to kick up again.
"Here is the latest news. The Emperor has decided no matter the occupation, all men—"
The crackling of the radio suddenly stops. I look back out the window, letting my thoughts wander once more with the pink mass gliding on the wind. I clench my fist.
I cannot let our honor be sabotaged because I'm a tomboy. Tomorrow, I will meet my soon-to-be husband. Tomorrow, we will keep Honor, not bring shame. Tomorrow, I will make my family proud. 693Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvGxEUI34K9
______________________________________________________________________693Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtN8PR1zyCI
Hello, Everyone. Welcome to Honor, one of my favorite stories I am writing. This story is not a fanfiction, and is not a copy of Mulan. It is simply a retelling. All characters are of my own mind. This story is copyrighted, so do not copy or steal it. I will find out if you do.693Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdAYaw6SMpp
I'm always looking for constructive criticism, and welcome it with open arms. What do you feel about this? How is the character of Akira-Lee? Can you connect to her? Let me know!693Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUI3fKwtsay
If you like this story, please let me know by liking, commenting, and sharing. I will be writing more like this in the future. Follow if you wish for updates on stories like this. :) But all of your own free will.693Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXpaJIaonqX
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